we've been sharing a few of our favorite places to find fair trade clothing for the past few weeks. really this is where we should have started, because, well, it's where we should start! i took this photo at a local thrift store. this is about one fifth of a row of jeans. there were maybe 6 rows of jeans in this one shop...and these are just the women's jeans!

we all know there is too much of a disposable aspect to our clothing. some cheap clothing doesn't last. some clothing is too trendy to keep for long. we often just want something new. if you don't want to change your way of thinking, thrift can actually be a great option for you. think of it like checking a book out of the library. if you buy something cheap from the thrift store, you can wear for as long as you like and then bring it back to the store to be sold again. the cost per wear is still low, similar to cheap fashion at the mall, but new things don't continually need to be made.

i do think that a change of mindset is necessary at some point, however. we just have too much…and we aren't using what we have. we aren't buying what we need, what we want to wear, what suits our lifestyle, what we love.

having a simple wardrobe and reversing the thought process above is sustainable for the earth and for us individually.

ok, so maybe, just maybe, you are not going to find the same pair of jeans that you desire at the moment… and maybe you are going to find them. maybe you are going to need to tweak the pair you find just a little. maybe you are going to have to shift what you are looking for a bit. in any case, i think you'll probably be able to find something that works. this post has more on the mind shift i undertook in the autumn while doing my jean shopping.

this is a great place to find some jeans to turn into shorts as well…plenty of high waisted stock, if that's your thing.